"We are starting today consulting Polish public opinion and leading political circles on this strategic question," he said after a meeting here with US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith.

"We will also consult our allies and neighbours," Szmajdzinski told a joint press conference.

He spoke after Prime Minister Leszek Miller said earlier in an interview that Poland, a former Soviet satellite, was ready to allow US bases on its territory if such a request was made.

Feith arrived here from Brussels where he and State Department counterpart Marc Grossman presented American redeployment plans to a meeting of permanent representatives to NATO.

Feith told journalists here a consultation process was in progress.

"Decisions are going to come through a respectful consultative process," he said:

"If (the process is) done right it will be enormously beneficial to the Alliance and to our security."

He said he and Grossman would visit a dozen countries this week including Russia to discuss US redeployments in Europe.

President George W. Bush said last month Washington would step up negotiations with several European and Asian countries on American global deployment.

Miller told state Trojka radio Monday: "If it was only up to me, I would have said yes."

Szmajdzinski said earlier Monday in a separate radio interview there was no risk that Poland, a NATO member since 1999, could become a target for extremists if US military bases were opened in the country.

"It will not change our situation. Poland already is a member of the anti-terrorist coalition," he said. "Ironically, the bases could mean that our country will be safer, a reaction to an attack could be faster."

Szmajdzinski has previously said the government and President Aleksander Kwasniewski would discuss the base issue with Poland's political parties and listen to public opinion.

Bush came to office in January 2001 with plans to overhaul US forces to make them more mobile as well as revamp where they are stationed abroad.

Poland was one of Washington's strongest backers in the war that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and has sent around 2,500 troops and leads one the three military zones in the country.

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